No, that is not what people are saying, and I am sure you are aware.But...but...but...It's not the breed; it's how it was trained. You should fear a poorly trained chihuahua as much as a poorly trained pit bull! Shoot the charging chihuahua!
No, that is not what people are saying, and I am sure you are aware.
Size matters. Training matters. Beyond that, they ARE basically all dogs, and will act like dogs, no matter the size or breed.
IANAL, but IMO never, ever, ever, ever fire a warning shot. Warning shots carry all the downsides of shots fired to stop a threat but are far less effective at stopping the threat. Shoot to stop the threat. If the threat is a pit bull, shoot at its center mass.
If a pit bull is charging and I have a dog with me, I will reasonably assume that, whether or not my dog is being targeted, I am being targeted--and will shoot to protect my life and limb from a very dangerous animal.
The words "I feared for my life" will be one of the very few things I say during the 911 call. I will certainly NOT say that I fired and shots (let alone warning shots) because I feared for the life of my dog.
Or if there were time to talk to the perp, then it could be reasoned that the threat wasnt imminent.
You're almost right. If you shot a hamster with that cannon in your avatar, you would be aquited for lack of evidence. ie. no hamster.:lol:
Size matters. Training matters. Beyond that, they ARE basically all dogs, and will act like dogs, no matter the size or breed.
Sorry, but breed matters in too many other aspects to think it doesn't matter in tendency toward aggression.
Indeed, one reason for the existence of many breeds is specifically for different desirable traits: working with cattle or sheep, sense of sight or smell for tracking or hunting, ease of training for pointing and flushing birds, ease of training a soft jaw for retrieving downed birds, even propensity to hunt and kill rats.
Horses are just all horses, but anyone whose been around them knows how much more skill and work is required to properly work Arabians than American Quarter Horses. Chickens are just chickens. But anyone who has raised them for any time knows that some breeds tend to be naturally more aggressive than others. And I trust we need not discuss the difference between various European strains of honeybees and their African cousins. No, nothing like shown in the movies, but any beekeeper with experience can tell you the immediate difference in aggression.
Indeed, there is a certain bit of self-contradiction from who choose to own pit bulls because they like the breed but who then turn around and say every breed is essentially the same.
I personally suspect that training and socialization, or rather lack thereof, likely plays as large or larger part in aggressive behavior among dog breeds than does breed itself. My personal pet theory, unsupported by any statistical evidence is that because some criminal types tend to be attracted to the macho image of pits while little old ladies tend to be attracted to small breeds, pits are more likely to be raised and trained more aggressive than some other breeds. To this end, I hope my favored, large breed of dogs never catches on with the crackheads, dealers, or other violent types.
I don't believe in overly stereotyping breeds of dogs. I like dogs, Never had a bad experience with one or any size. But to claim that breed makes no significant difference in behavior is at least as unsupportable as those who claim that breed is the only thing that matters.
Charles
Sorry, but breed matters in too many other aspects to think it doesn't matter in tendency toward aggression.
Indeed, one reason for the existence of many breeds is specifically for different desirable traits: working with cattle or sheep, sense of sight or smell for tracking or hunting, ease of training for pointing and flushing birds, ease of training a soft jaw for retrieving downed birds, even propensity to hunt and kill rats.
Horses are just all horses, but anyone whose been around them knows how much more skill and work is required to properly work Arabians than American Quarter Horses. Chickens are just chickens. But anyone who has raised them for any time knows that some breeds tend to be naturally more aggressive than others. And I trust we need not discuss the difference between various European strains of honeybees and their African cousins. No, nothing like shown in the movies, but any beekeeper with experience can tell you the immediate difference in aggression.
Indeed, there is a certain bit of self-contradiction from who choose to own pit bulls because they like the breed but who then turn around and say every breed is essentially the same.
I personally suspect that training and socialization, or rather lack thereof, likely plays as large or larger part in aggressive behavior among dog breeds than does breed itself. My personal pet theory, unsupported by any statistical evidence is that because some criminal types tend to be attracted to the macho image of pits while little old ladies tend to be attracted to small breeds, pits are more likely to be raised and trained more aggressive than some other breeds. To this end, I hope my favored, large breed of dogs never catches on with the crackheads, dealers, or other violent types.
I don't believe in overly stereotyping breeds of dogs. I like dogs, Never had a bad experience with one or any size. But to claim that breed makes no significant difference in behavior is at least as unsupportable as those who claim that breed is the only thing that matters.
Charles